Programs

Food Donation Program

According to the Worcester County Food Bank 1 in 12 people and 1 in 9 children in Worcester County are food insecure. The Agro-Eco Project is committed to providing fresh fruit and vegetables grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilizers to food pantries in our area. We believe that food is medicine and strive to provide the healthiest produce to some of the more vulnerable members of our community. We primarily serve the following food pantries: Saint John's Food for the Poor Program in Worcester, the Rutland Food Pantry and the Charlton Food Pantry. We have three programs in place to tackle hunger in our community.

Food donations from our farm: 100% of the food we grow at our farm is redistributed to the food pantries we work with. We are averaging between 2000 and 3000 pounds of produce yearly, depending on our crop mix. These are are usually a mix of favorites such as tomatoes, cucumbers and corn, along with healthy greens such as kale, collards and chard. Depending on the year, we might supplement with microgreens and other greens grown hydroponically. As our fruit trees and berry bushes come into production we have been incrementally adding pears, peaches, raspberries and blackberries to our donations. 

Greater Table Initiative: during the months between November and June, while our farm is not growing produce, our Greater Table Initiative kicks in by purchasing food locally and redistributing it to the food pantries we work with. We purchase food through the Worcester Regional Food Hub, a local food aggregator, with the aim of spending food dollars locally thereby supporting local farms. 

Local Chef Program: every year we team up with small food businesses and local chefs to create ready to eat meals for the food pantries we serve. In the past years we have purchased around 600 meals yearly, as well as dozens of holiday pies over the holiday season. The local chefs we hire use primarily local ingredients either purchased from local farms or using produce from our farm when in season.

Overview

Agroecology is kind of farming that applies ecological principles to the management of sustainable food systems. At our small farm in Rutland, MA that means we try to balance the need for food production with the sustainable (and indeed regenerative) management of our landscape. Fruits and vegetables are just one part of a system which includes sun, water, microbiology, plants, wildlife, humans and our greater community. The particular techniques we use include no-till agriculture, permaculture design, regenerative farming practices and an emphasis on perennial crops. You can explore these concepts further in our blog and resource section.

A central belief at the Agro-Eco Project is that farming with agroecological techniques produces superior quality produce and, more importantly, healthier food rich in antioxidants, minerals and vitamins. That is why we are teaming up with the Bionutrient Institute, a global institution seeking to scientifically prove that food grown sustainably is healthier than food grown on an industrial scale. Our aim is to show that nutrient dense food is the direct result of employing regenerative farming practices.

We share our agroecological farming experiences with our community in different ways. We collaborate with local schools and other like minded organisations in the form of farm tours and seminars which are posted in our Blog section. Please also consult our Resource and Video pages on our website for more information regarding our regenerative exploits. 

Culinary Program

Overview

The main aim of our culinary program is to bridge the gap between the growing of healthy produce and the cooking of delicious food. It’s great to have very healthy vegetables in our garden, but it is more important to understand how to prepare them beautifully. For example, many of the vegetables we produce are very nutritious leafy greens, yet not the most exciting choices out there. How do we make these vegetables palatable and easily accessible? Through a series of online videos, digital recipes and in person cooking classes we give tips and instructions on how to make great produce taste delicious. These resources are made available for any home cook as well as the recipients of our food donations.

The Slow Food Ark of Taste Program

Every year we plant two to four varieties of heirloom plants highlighted in Slow Food's Ark of Taste, an online encyclopedia cataloguing traditional seeds, heritage breeds of animals and cultural foods that risk being lost in today’s fast paced and homogenized food system. We have planted King Philip Corn, Boston Marrow Squash and Jacob’s Cattle beans: all heritage varieties present in the Ark of Taste.

Not only do we distribute these varieties in our donations to the food pantries we serve, but we also produce cooking videos and recipes highlighting ways to prepare these rare vegetables.

Cooking with Perennials

Including more perennial vegetables in our diets is essential to bringing down our carbon footprint and lessen our reliance on annual crops. While tropical climates allow for the production of a cornucopia of delectable perennial fruits and vegetables, our climate in Central Massachusetts offers less variety, particularly when it comes to starchy plants, legumes and vegetables. Our fruit and berry production can be fantastic, but our perennial vegetables are limited to greens such as asparagus, turkish rocket, perennial sorrel and sea kale. Chestnuts, hazelnuts and jerusalem artichokes can offer important protein and starch inputs as well.

Our goal here is to find interesting ways to prepare and conserve these varieties of perennial fruits and vegetables, especially as they are increasingly included in our food donations. Please consult our blog, video and resource sections for more information on how to prepare perennial vegetables.